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- What were your big takeaways from your workshop or project?
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Upper School Curriculum
Public·8 members
November 2025 ACTFL Convention
Dawn Kleint
Upper School French Teacher
ACTFL Convention, New Orleans, LA - November 21-23
I went into the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Convention in New Orleans with an open mind, not knowing what to expect, yet hoping to gain some great insights into language teaching. I started the convention on Friday morning with a full schedule, ready to go to all the French seminars that were offered. The first one I attended, a presentation from a doctoral student in French, was very theoretical, and didn’t provide any real-world examples for classroom use. So, I decided after that to broaden my plans a bit to include other languages.
I ended up attending a session called Soy Profe! from a high school Spanish teacher in Baltimore. She was very engaging and enthusiastic. She involved the audience (of adults), provided a handout and showed visuals, including a video of her…
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ACTFL Conference
ACTFL Conference 11/2025 Language Learning vs. Acquisition
Professional Development Reflection: Applying Krashen’s Theory of Language Acquisition
In the first session I attended, the presenter reviewed Krashen’s theories of acquisition, which I will summarize here: Language acquisition happens unconsciously when learners focus on meaningful messages. In contrast, language learning is a conscious, rule-based process that often leads to short-term memorization. Because only acquired language leads to true fluency, effective instruction prioritizes comprehensible input over heavy grammar practice.
This distinction came to life during several conference presentations I attended that focused on Krashen’s theories. In one session, I participated in a Russian lesson that was entirely built around comprehensible input and TPRS strategies. I felt nervous at first when the presenter explained that we would be acting as students—I thought, “I don’t speak any Russian; this is going to be difficult.” But that was precisely her point. She intentionally chose a language none…
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ACTFL Conference
I attended the ACTFL conference in New Orleans from October 21–23 this year, along with three colleagues from the World Language Department. Over the three days, I participated in several workshops covering topics such as Chinese language teaching, strategies for supporting students with ADHD, world language pedagogies and activities in reading, listening, speaking, and writing, as well as cultural project design.
I especially benefited from two sessions. One was led by Chinese teacher Ying Jin, who shared insights on fostering identity, pride, and growth in the Chinese classroom. The other was presented by a Spanish teacher who introduced engaging activities for teaching world languages as a second language, such as “talk around a word,” “talking beans,” and “mystery bags.”
I also attended a workshop on using AI to create monologues about cultural figures—such as monsters or heroes from the legends of the culture—an activity that students typically enjoy. In addition,…
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American Council of Teachers of Foreign Language (ACTFL); 21-23 November 2025
This year I attended the ACTFL conference in New Orleans with the other members of my department. I am grateful for this opportunity for I enjoy learning about different teaching strategies and practices and exploring new technological resources and texts. I am in my 19th year at Burkes and am one of the two Spanish teachers in the Upper School. Initially, the conference can be overwhelming in its many offerings to attendees yet all that is required is a mindful review of the sessions and presentations that best serve my needs and interests. Of the sessions that I attended, several were very informative and useful for my own curricula. In the year after my administrative evaluation, it is my goal to attend more PD and to participate in valuable exploration and discussion with other colleagues. My goal, going forward, is to participate in at least one PD endeavor in an academic year. This could involve some significant travel as well as visiting another school in the Bay Area. My big take aways of this experience landed on two points: one is to flex my creative muscles and write/submit proposals for future conferences and the other is to revamp/freshen up my interdisciplinary sections (in particular the teaching of music and Spanish and women's contributions in my creative projects). Several of the sessions I attended provided me with fresh and imaginative ideas in
these areas. In the past, I was very involved in working collaboratively with other teachers, both at Burkes and from other schools, in leading workshops and sharing best teaching practices. I would like to resume this activity.
I am thankful to have had the opportunity to attend this year's ACTFL and I am appreciative of Burke's mission to support the faculty in their professional growth.
AFS
3 December 2025